Eye and Vision

Ophthalmic Nursing

An Ophthalmic Nurse cares for the people with eye disorders. Ophthalmic nurses are essential during operations, functioning as circulating or scrub nurses and assisting the surgical team. They also perform pre-operative assessments for patients before eye surgery. They cautiously position patients for surgery, verify the surgical site and help with the instruments without any harm. Ophthalmic Nurses help patients with glaucoma, cataracts and eye related diseases, and they work directly under an ophthalmologist. The main role of ophthalmic nurses in the development of visual care is that they can assess a patient’s visual potential his or her capability to function independently. Ophthalmic nurses provide necessary assistance to increase patients independence and overcome psychological problems. While physicians diagnose diseases, prescribe medications and perform surgeries, on the other hand nurses help patients to adapt new and persistent lifestyle-altering conditions. The future of ophthalmic nursing depends on the cultural, social and financial background of each community. The main objective of specialized nursing education processes is to train nurses to be quick, logical thinkers, even under pressure and during emergency situations. Ophthalmic nurses are ideal for this because of the intimate and close relationships they develop with patients, which allows nurses to better understand patient needs and demands. International organizations have developed a competency framework based on knowledge, ability, and interventions that significantly improve the likelihood of an ophthalmic nurse having a successful career. This framework defines the following three levels of clinical nurses: a competent nurse, an experienced/adept nurse, and a senior practitioner/expert nurse. Responsibilities of ophthalmic nurses include evaluating, diagnosing, treating, and discharging patients with ocular conditions and diseases/disorders. They also manage patients referred from general practitioners and primary healthcare units, perform initial screening, monitor disease progression, and assist with early treatment of chronic ocular conditions. These duties include performing minor interventions without supervision (e.g., minor procedures and adnexal surgery) and assisting in ophthalmic surgeries, including YAG laser capsulotomy. Ophthalmic nurses play a key role throughout the entire domain of ophthalmic health. Ophthalmic nurses contribute to cost-effective health care, which is of high priority to both government-funded and privately funded institutions.